Vertically adjustable standard

ABSTRACT

A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE STANDARD INCLUDING A TUBULAR MEMBER THROUGH WHICH A ROD IS TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE THEREIN, SAID ROD BEING FREELY MOVABLE IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE TUBULAR MEMBER BUT BEING RESTRICTED FROM DOWNWARD MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO. A COLLAR IS SECURED AROUND THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND A LOCKING RING IS LOCATED WITHIN THE COLLAR AND HAS AN AXIAL OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE ROD EXTENDS. AN EXTERNALLY ACCESSIBLE ADJUSTMENT MEMBER IS PROVIDED FOR TILTING THE LOCKING RING WITHIN THE COLLAR TO LOCATE THE AXIS OF THE LOCKING RING IN INCLINED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF THE ROD, WHEREIN OPPOSED INNER EDGES OF THE LOCKING RING OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE ROD EXTENDS ENGAGE ADJACENT SURFACES OF THE ROD TO LOCK THE ROD IN A SELECTED VERTICAL POSITION AGAINST DOWNWARD MOVEMENT.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Edward C. Allen Attorney-Salter & Michaelson ABSTRACT: A vertically adjustable standard including a tubular member through which a rod is telescopically received and vertically movable therein, said rod being freely movable in an upward direction with respect to the tubular member but being restricted from downward movement with respect thereto. A collar is secured around the tubular member and a locking ring is located within the collar and has an axial opening through which the rod extends. An externally accessible adjustment member is provided for tilting the locking ring within the collar to locate the axis of the locking ring in inclined relation with respect to the axis of the rod, wherein opposed inner edges of the locking ring opening through which the rod extends engage adjacent surfaces of the rod to lock the rod in a selected vertical position against downward movement.

PATENTEUJUNZBIQ?! 3,588,023

sum 1 BF 2 INVENTOR, Maurzce Cohen B {ma WM Awfys.

Pmimmumm 3588.023

SHEET 2 BF 2 IN lliN TOR, Maurzce Cohen,

BY M {M Att ys.

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE STANDARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vertical standards having a vertical adjustment have been known and used in a variety of devices, and have been employed particularly in garment display racks and other similar devices. A simple vertical adjustment known heretofore included a pin that extended through a tubular member for engaging a rod that was received in the tubular member in telescoping relation, the pin acting to locate the rod in a desired vertical position. Other prior known adjustment devices have included collar clamps and spring-loaded pins that snapped into appropriately formed openings in the outer tubular member, the pins being depressed for moving the inner rod or standard to a desired vertical elevation.

All of these prior known devices served the purpose intended of locating a standard in a desired vertical position of use. However, many of these vertical adjustment devices were difficult to operate for effecting the adjustment and in many instances required the use of components such as springs and special holding pins that necessarily increased the cost of the devices on which they'were mounted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a vertically adjustable standard that is applicable to a variety of devices in which a vertical adjustment is required and basically includes a clamping unit that is operable to adjustably locate a vertical rod in desired vertical relation with respect to a tubular member in which it is telescopically received. The clamping unit is located at the upper end of the tubular member for securement thereto and includes a collar through which the rod extends. Mounted within the collar is a locking ring, which in the normal locking position is disposed such that the vertical axis thereof is inclined to the vertical. Since the rod extends through the locking ring, the inclined ring is located such that the edges of the opening through which the rod extends engages the surfaces of the rod in binding relation and thus downward movement of the rod is restricted. Upward movement of the rod is unimpeded since lifting of the rod also lifts I the locking ring to locate the axes thereof in vertical coaxial relation whereby the rod may then be freely moved with respect to the ring. When the rod is dropped by gravity, the ring falls downwardly to its inclined position, thereby causing the rod surface to again engage the edges of the ring opening and thereby bind the rod against further downward movement thereof. When it is necessary to lower the rod with respect to the tubular member, an actuating member accessible exteriorly of the collar and engaging the locking ring is movable to locate the locking ring such that the axis thereof is coaxial with the rod. Since movement of the rod is then unimpeded, it may be moved downwardly with respect to the tubular member.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vertically adjustable standard that includes a rod that is adjustable in vertical relation with respect to a tubular member through which it extends.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vertically adjustable standard including a tubular member having a collar secured thereto and through which a vertical rod extends, a locking ring being located in the collar and being adapted to engage the rod for restricting downward movement thereof.

Still another object is to provide an adjustment device for use with a vertical standard that includes a locking ring, the

axis of which is normally inclined with respect to the standard and that is movable such that the axis thereof is coaxial with the standard to permit unimpeded movement of the standard in a vertical direction.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the instant invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display rack illustrating the vertically adjustable standard of the present invention as employed therewith;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view with parts shown in elevation of the adjustment device for use with the vertically adjustable standard and showing the device in the locking position thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the adjustment device in that position for permitting vertical movement of the adjustable standard therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a garment display rack generally indicated at 10 is shown incorporating a vertically adjustable standard therein. It is understood that the vertically adjustable standard that will be described in connection with the display rack 10, may be utilized in other devices where a vertically adjustable member is required, and thus the invention is not necessarily limited to the construction illustrated and described.

The display rack 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a triangular base defined by legs 12 to which a vertical tubular member 16 is secured at the lowermost end thereof. The tubular member 16 may be of any dimension, and as shown is of that height that would be normally associated with a base for a display rack. Telescopically received within the tubular member 16 is a rod 18 on the uppermost end of which a display unit generally indicated at 20 is mounted. The display unit 20 includes a central hub 22 from which barlike elements 24 radiate and secured to the elements 24 at the outermost ends thereof is a circular ring 26 that may be used as a hang rod for receiving hangers or the like in the display of garments or other articles.

Since it is desirable to vertically adjust the position of the ring 26 in the display of the articles therefrom, the rod I8-is adjustable with respect to the tubular member 16; and for this purpose a clamping unit generally indicated at 28 is provided. As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clamping unit 28 is defined by a collar 30 having an upper wall 31 in which an opening 32 is formed for receiving the rod 18 therein. Located within the collar 30 and fixed to the uppermost end of the tubular member 16 by welding, as indicated at 34, is a plate 38, a

recess 39 being formed in the inner wall of the collar 30 for receiving the plate 38' therein and thereby preventing downward movement of the collar 30 with respect to the plate 38. A retaining ring 36 engages the underside of the plate 38 and is fixed in the collar 30 and thereby locks the collar 30 against upward movement and mounts the collar 30 on the uppermost end of the tubular member 16. Fixed within the plate 38 is a pin 41 to which an abutment 40 is joined that extends upwardly above the plate 38 but that is spaced from the inner surface of the wall 31 into the interior of the collar 30. Also located in the plate 38 is an opening 42 through which an actuating member 44 extends, the actuating member 44 having an enlarged head 46 formed on the inner end thereof that prevents withdrawal of the member 44 through the opening 42. A finger grip 46 is secured to the outermost end of the actuating member 44 and provides for easy gripping of the adjustment member for movement thereof. It is seen that the actuating member 44 is movable within the collar 30 by exerting an upward force thereon.

Also located interiorly of the collar 30 is a lock ring 50 that has a central opening 52 formed therein through which the rod 18 extends. One side of the lock ring rests on the abutment 40; and, as shown in FIG. 2, when the rod 18 is in an adjusted position and must be locked against downward movement within the tubular member 16, the lock ring 50 is inclined such that the vertical axis thereof is tilted or inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the rod ll8. In this position, the lower left edge and the upper right edge of the opening 52 as seen in FIG. 2, engage the adjacent surfaces of the rod 18 to cause the rod to bind within the ring opening 52 and thus downward movement of the rod 18 with respect to the tubular member 16 is restricted.

It is seen that the rod 18 can be vertically adjusted with respect to the tubular member 16 by locating the lock ring 50 such that the axis thereofis coaxial with the axis of the rod 18. in order to locate the lock ring 50 and the rod 18 in coaxial relation, the actuating member 44 is moved in an upward direction, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and since one side of the lock ring 50 engages the abutment 40, the upward movement of the adjustment member 44 moves the other side of the lock ring 50 upwardly to locate the lock ring in a horizontal position and the opening 52 therein in coaxial relation with respect to the rod 18. With the lock ring 50 and the rod 18 located in coaxial relation, the rod 18 is then free to fall by gravity to the desired vertical position. When the rod 18 falls to the adjusted position thereof, the actuating member 44 is released and the lock ring 50 then returns to the inclined position thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The opposite edges of the opening 52 in the lock ring 50 once again bind against the adjacent surfaces of the rod 18 and prevent further downward movement thereof. it is further seen that upper vertical movement of the rod 18 is accomplished without movement of the actuating member 44, since lifting of the rod 18 will cause the lock ring 50 to lift therewith. Thus, upper movement of the rod 18 may be carried out by simply moving the rod 18 to the required upper adjusted position thereof. However, as described, when it is required to lower the rod 18 to a lower vertical position, it is necessary to lift the actuating member 44 to the position as illustrated in FIG. 3, thereby locating the lock ring 50 and rod 18 in the coaxial position thereof.

It is understood that in the form of the invention illustrated the ring 26 of the display member 20 is movable to any desired elevated position by either lifting the rod 18 or pressing upwardly on the actuating member 44, which latter movement will locate the opening 52 in the ring 50 in axial alignment with the rod 18. The rod 18 is then allowed to fall by gravity to the required lower position.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A vertically adjustable standard, comprising a vertical tubular member, an elongated rod telescopically received in said tubular member and being vertically movable relative thereto, a plate secured to said tubular member in coaxial relation at the upper end thereof and having an axial opening formed therein for receiving said tubular member, a collar mounted on said plate in enveloping relation and having an integral upper wall in which an axially extending opening is formed through which said rod extends, and annular sidewalls joined to said upper wall and forming an inverted cuplike configuration therewith, the bottom of said collar being open, a first vertically extending opening formed in said plate in eccentric relation therein, an abutment located interiorly of said collar and being defined by an enlarged upper portion and a reduced pinlike lower portion, said lower portion being received in said first opening, wherein said upper portion extends upwardly with respect to said plate interiorly of said collar, said plate having a second opening formed therein that is eccentric to the axis thereof and that is substantially oppositely spaced from said abutment as located in said first opening, a rodlike actuating member located exteriorly of said tubular member and projecting upwardly through the opening in said plate, a head formed on said actuatin member for preventing withdrawal thereof through sai opening, a locking ring located within said collar around said rod and normally engaging the enlarged upper portion of said abutment and the head of the actuating member, wherein the axis of said locking ring is normally inclined so that opposed inner edges of the opening therein engage said rod, thereby locking said rod in a selected vertical position against downward movement, a retaining ring located adjacent to the open lower end of said collar in coaxial relation around said tubular member and engaging the underside of said plate, said retaining ring being received within an annular groove formed in the interior surface of the annular sidewall of said collar for locking said collar in enveloping relation around said plate, said actuating member being movable vertically upwardly to lift said locking ring to a position wherein the axis thereof is vertical, said rod thereafter being freely movable downwardly by gravity through said collar and with respect to said tubular member to a selected lower position in said tubular member. 

